The Abyssal Heresy Submitted by drthink "You arrogant prick, how can you be so sure I'm wrong? We are mages, we claim to have understanding beyond the grasp of the Sleepers, yet you insist on clinging to a fairytale about some Utopian city and a Fall. Anything to classify the universe into "good" and "bad," right? You won't even hear me out, will you? Son of a bitch. Every time." The universe is in balance. Everything exists by comparison. The earth stands against the heavens, the mind against the body, and in doing so, each gains clarity, purpose and existence. By the separation of all things do they gain meaning, and in giving meaning to one another, all things are intimately connected. The Heresy first came to the attention of the Orders during the mass migration of Chinese to the American frontier and the railroad. New families brought new mages, and some of these mages brought with them a new philosophy. On the surface, there was really no sticking point, as most mages would agree that there is a universal relationship between all things within the cosmos. Some mages were even willing to listen when the monk-mages began to discuss the natural balance that existed within the world. The next step in the philosophy, the one which earned this movement the title of Heresy, began when the monk-mages began a discourse on the nature of the Abyss. If all things exist in balance, and mages, by way of their very existence, upset the balance of forces in nature, then an equal and opposite force must exist in order to maintain equilibrium. The Abyss is that opposite force. It is the Yang to the mage's Yin. Paradox is a reflex of the universe, righting itself and readjusting after an upsetting act of will. The Abyss does not exist because of some ancient, half-forgotten sin, nor does a Paradox cause this so-called gap to widen. The Abyss expands and contracts proportionally to the number of Awakened in the world, a universal buffer and counter-weight to the enormous power of those who no longer sleep. Needless to say, most mages found this philosophy to be distasteful at best, and though this point was only a derivative belief of their philosophy, the Heretics were shunned outright. The Heresy contradicted everything taught by the Atlanteans. Perhaps, the Atlanteans and the Heretics would have agreed to disagree had events not escalated so rapidly. All along the expanding railroad, strange and terrible stories were passed back to the East Coast; stories of monsters forming from the air, and people falling into the sky. The Atlantean Orders, still struggling to gain a foothold in the Americas and to maintain the Veil on the frontier recognized these stories as severe Paradoxes and Vulgar magics. The reaction was quick and fierce: There was a purge, and few of the immigrant mages survived. The Heretics that did survive made their way to the East Coast of the United States and presented themselves to the Consilii, claiming that a curse had been lain on the immigrant mages for leaving their father-land and that this was the reason for the dead mages' madness. But the Europeans would not listen, firmly believing the Heretics to be twisted by their own beliefs into a fetid and abominable existence. So, soundlessly, one-by-one, the Heretics disappeared back into the Frontier. With the communist revolution in China, as well as the wear and tear of time, most of the indigenous followers of the Heresy have passed away: the Legacy has passed on to Western hands, remaining mainly in the West Coast of the United States and South America. The Heresy shows up from time to time, and as long as the heretics keep their heads down and respect the law of society, mages typically give them a wide berth. As such, new members of the Legacy are rare indeed, as there are very few members of the Heresy, and those who are initiated rarely take the time to explain their philosophy to those who refused them so long ago. Still, particularly charismatic members of the Legacy often attract young, disenfranchised mages, and the Abyssal Heresy survives through the ages. Most Atlantean mages consider a Heretic something of a between a time-bomb and a madman. Whether or not the madness of the original Heretics was a true curse, or was the result of their minds being twisted by the Abyss is still a matter of speculation, but most mages who do not follow the Heresy tend to assume the worst, and heaven help the Heretic who places even one toe out of line. Then again, the Heresy has a long memory, and the Purge has not been forgotten. Parent Path: Any. The philosophy of the Heresy does not spring from a given magical Path, but from an individual mage's perspective. Though members of the Adamantine Arrow have similar beliefs to the Heresy, they are no more likely to join than any other Order.

Nickname: Heretics Appearance: There really is no guiding principle to how a Heretic might look. They may come from any walk of life, and each individual is just that, an individual. The Heretics these days are primarily from the United States and Central America, though occasionally a Heretic appears from Asia. Background: Again, Heretics come from all sorts of backgrounds, but many are those who once had a strong faith that was broken by their Awakening. Ascetics, hermits, and philosophers can all be found in the ranks. Organization: Though the Heretics certainly love to discuss their beliefs with one another and work together towards a better understanding of the intricate balance of the universe, there are just too few of them to have any kind of true organization. Typically, Heretics will stay together as long as they can, but eventually pressures from inside and outside of the group push them to separate. The mages often stay in close contact, but the more of them there are in close proximity, the more likely they are to attract the unwanted notice of a Consilium. Suggested Oblation: Holding a position which requires strong balance; having a discussion with a complete stranger or spending an hour learning about something completely new(reinforcing the interconnection between all creatures); studying the effects of a Paradox (typically a Branding or Bedlam) Concepts: Punk Rebel, Truth seeker, martial artist, ascetic, hermit Attainments The Heretics find their close familiarity with the Abyss and Paradox to have odd effects which are slightly different from the other legacies. Instead of directly influencing their magical ability, the Heretics instead find that their attainments draw them closer to a center of balance in which their body, mind and soul all exist in equal parts. Their focus on the purity of connection leads them to Prime, although the Heretics also explore the connection of people and place (Life and Space) 1st: Unity of Body Prerequisites: Gnosis 3, Prime (primary) 2 The mage begins to understand the connections of the self. All roads lead to one and all roads exist as one, and as such, the mage develops a new efficiency regarding their pattern. Whenever the mage performs a Pattern Scourging, the mage recovers 4 mana rather than 3. In addition, the mage may scourge either a mental attribute or a physical, but may still only scourge one attribute dot per 24 hours. Furthermore, the first time in a 24-hour period that a mage attempts a Pattern Restoration, the restoration costs only 2 mana. Any further restorations require the full 3 mana. Optional Arcanum: Life 2 The mage may spend 1 Willpower and enter a meditative trance. So long as the mage maintains this trance, his healing rates are halved. One Bashing damage heals in 8 minutes, and one Lethal damage heals in 1 day. This effect stacks with abilities such as the Quick Healer Merit or the Body Control rote. 2nd: The Universal Connection Prerequisites: Gnosis 5, Prime 3 Magic, like all other portions of reality, are interconnected and united. The Heretic learns to give up his misconceptions of a separate or hierarchical understanding of magic, and instead opens himself up to the reality that all magic begins in the Supernal and is therefore the same. This attainment allows the m age to substitute the Prime Arcanum for any Arcanum requirement in a conjunctional spell effect besides the primary Arcanum. Doing so costs 1 Willpower and is a reflexive action. For example: Odin wishes to cast a spell combining Mind 3, Spirit 3, and Death 2. He has Mind 3, which is the primary arcanum for this spell. He also has spirit 3, but possesses no training in the Death arcanum. However, because of this attainment, Odin spends 1 Willpower and substitutes his Prime 3 for the Death 2, and is therefore able to cast this spell. Optional Arcanum: Space 2

The understanding of an individual's Pattern is one of the first lessons of a Heretic. Though they rarely do so, the Heretics have learned how to extend the scourging through the natural connections that exist between people. The Heretic rolls Manipulation+Occult+Prime versus the targets Resolve+Gnosis. If the Heretic wins, the target takes one health level of Resistant lethal damage, and the mage recovers one mana. This ability may only be attempted on an individual once per 24 hours, and it may not be cast sympathetically. The target of a successful use of this ability regains a point of Willpower as the Universe reacts to restore balance. 3rd: Price of Pride Prerequisites: Gnosis 7, Prime 4, Space 3, Life 3 At this level of understanding, the Heretic learns that his very soul, his moral compass, is merely an extension of the cosmos. By learning to trade with the Abyss, he can often retain the bits and pieces of his soul that would have been los t long ago. Mechanically, anytime a Heretic would have to make a check for Wisdom degeneration he may instead elect to cause a Paradox. This choice must be made before the degeneration roll. The Heretic spends 1 Willpower, and rolls Resolve+Composure+Prime with a penalty equal to 10-Sin Rating: Dramatic Failure: Not only does the character automatically fail their degeneration check, but three dice are subtracted from the pool when rolling to check for a derangement. Failure: The attempt to "express" the degeneration fails. The degeneration check fails automatically and the player rolls to check for gaining a derangement by rolling the characters new Wisdom score (as per the normal rules of degeneration). Success: The attempt succeeds. The Storyteller rolls for Paradox with a base dice pool determined by Gnosis. Dramatic Success: Not only does the character succeed, but he reinforces his beliefs in the process, affirming his philosophy and will over the universe. Check for Paradox as normal, but the character regains 1 Willpower. This Paradox pool may not be bought off with mana, and the successes may not be subtracted as Backlash. If a Havoc Paradox is rolled, a Havoc immediately affects one of the spells Controlled by the mage. If the mage does not currently control any spells, then the Paradox affects the next spell cast by the mage. Example: Jerry the Heretic just used his magic to harm someone (a 4th tier Sin) and is attempting to channel his degeneration into an outward manifestation (a Paradox). His player marks off one Willpower and rolls Jerry's Resolve+Composure+Prime (9 dice), -6 because of the level of his sin (10-4=6). Jerry's player rolls 3 dice and scores no successes. Jerry's Wisdom drops from 5 to 4, and his player rolls four dice to see if Jerry gains a derangement. Had the pool been a chance die which resulted in a dramatic failure, Jerry's player would have rolled only one die to check for a derangement instead of four. Finally, this attainment involves a rearranging of the soul which is disorienting to the mage's Supernal connection. For the rest of the scene, all casting dice pools for rotes and spells are at -2. Once the scene is over, the penalty drops to -1 and remains for 24 hours, at which point the soul has settled back into its usual connections. ______________________________________________________________Aelf Lord Submitted by Agnostus “In the world of men, Mr. Durhelm, you are feared and ob eyed by many people of fine character. This is not, however, your world, and while in my woods, I expect you to act with humility.” People remember the Fair Folk, even today; they are the very stuff of legends, both innocent and terrifying at once. It was said that they once held court beneath the hills of Ireland, and their homeland would drift about the Earth, like a ship in a sea of mist. They were a kind of mystery, a touch of wonder that everyone from the meekest peasant to the greatest of kings both loved and feared. And then they went away; as if the sun had risen and stripped away the moonlight of a magical glade, the kings of Faerie were lost to the Earth. There were no more changelings swapped for human children, no more strange laughter in haunted woods, and never again did the Aelven paladins ride out to court among mortal lasses. The world was diminished by their departing, but the people remember them still.

Some have done more then remember: they have Awakened. In their Awakening, these few souls have traversed the Abyss and found their way to the hidden home of the Fair Folk, Arcadia, the land of Faerie. In this place, the Aelfs can been seen living as they always have, in their strange garb and otherworldly appearances. These human souls , Awakened and inspired, have taken up the mantle of the masters of Faerie, to live as they did so long ago. The Aelf Lords have fully embraced the inhuman philosophy and culture of the race of Arcadia, and seek to recreate the Fae magics through their own Awakened arts. Central to the Lord’s philosophy is, obviously, the Fae Kings themselves. Those beings are seen as the very height of perfection and the Lord, through his magic, desires to approach that level of perfection himself. It is hoped that once the mage finally Ascends, he shall come to dwell among the Fae as one of their own, a proud and potent member of the Fairy Court. By replicating the magic of the Fae and transforming themselves to be more like the True Aelfs in Arcadia, the Lords hope not simply to Ascend, but also to bring Earth closer to Arcadia through sympathetic magic. In spite of the resources obviously required to realize such a plan, the feuding Lords rarely work together, their own ambitions of mastery foiling their ambitions. Parent Path: Acanthus Parent Order: The Silver Ladder Nickname: Goblins Appearance: The Aelf Lords are far from uniform in their appearance; some replicate the fanciful dress of their greater cousins in Arcadia, others prefer clothing that demonstrates mortal power or mastery, such as the business suit. What is universal among Goblins is the strangeness of their features; the warping quality of Fae magic has transformed the Lord’s body, giving it an unearthly, but attractive, quality. Goblins are very easy to recognize because of this, and Sleepers will easily remember him if questioned later. Background: Before their Awakenings, the Sleepers who would become the Aelf Lords lived dull and futile lives. Their trip to Arcadia showed them something amazing, something beyond anything they had previously known, and they have embraced it with all the enthusiasm they could muster. As a result, the Lord’s personality is typically completely changed by his Awakening, becoming focused, forceful and uninterested to concession or compromise. Organization: The Aelf Lords are almost exclusively on the Path of Acanthus, though occasionally a mage from another Path will grow enamored of the idea of bringing magic back to the world by making the world more like magic. The philosophy of the Lords is similar to the dogma of Ascension and mastery preached by the Silver Ladder, and both groups find the other’s company tolerable. The Guardians of the Veil do not find the Lords pleasing at all, and the feeling is quite mutual. As a group, Aelf Lords don’t have much to do with each other, excepting of course through the master-apprentice relationship. Any two Goblins will tend to avoid each other while setting up their own fairy kingdom; even tutor and disciple keep a healthy distance from the other, save only when instruction or aid is needed. Suggested Oblations: Presiding over a court in the depths of the woods, whether or not anyone attends; playing ‘tricks’ on unwitting ‘mortals’ who frustrate your ambitions; sleeping within a fairy ring of mushrooms. Concepts: Strange reagent, master of the boardroom, neo-monarchist, deluded hermit, modern knight.. Attainments The Aelf Lords draw their magic directly from the Supernal Realm of Arcadia, gaining the fey magics of that place’s inhabitants. The strange, mischievous nature of these powers is freely evident in every spell they weave, but still ultimately conform to the laws of Awakened magic. The Life Arcana is vastly important to this Legacy. The warping nature of Faerie is readily apparent in those who follow the Aelf Lord Legacy; they immediately gain the Striking Looks Merit at 00, but are very easy to remember and recognize as their face and form begin to take on the beautiful and radiant features of the True Aelfs.

1st: Faerie Form Prerequisites: Gnosis 3, Life 2, Athletics 1 The mage’s features become permeated with the magic of the Fae, changing his or her body in strange and alien ways. The results vary; sometimes altering height, build, turning skin or eyes to impossible hues, or even growing tiny horns or feathered hair. The Lord may not predict or control what change will overtake him or her, only that it brings him closer to perfection; the mage gains the Striking Looks Merit at 2 dots, and if he already possesses that, it is raised to four dots. If, by some chance, the mage already has Striking Looks at four dots, the bonus is raised to +3, making him or her almost too beautiful to behold. In addition, the Aelf Lord becomes broadly immune to disease and poison, as such weaknesses would mar the image of perfection. This effect is always active. Optional Arcanum: Fate 2 The Aelf Lord lives a blessed existence; his movements are graceful and unhindered, and he never stains his shirt or tears his pants. This is due to a minor effect of Fate that conspires to ensure that the mage is largely immune to life’s little slings and arrows. In addition, the Lord weaves the threads of Fate to protect himself in a manner similar to Fortune’s Protection (pg. 152); he gains one point of armor per dot he possesses in the Fate Arcanum. 2nd: Court of Faerie Prerequisites: Gnosis 5, Life 3 Goblins use the weird energies of Faerie to transform base life forms, such as plants and insects, into roughly humanoid creatures possessing simple muscle and sensory systems that enables them to move about and perform tasks. These creatures possess a keen similarity to the Fae, though they are not nearly so clever, having no real intelligence, just a simple set of instincts and a deep loyalty to the Aelf Lord. The Goblin’s touch has the power to grant plants and insects the humanoid form; the mage must remain in contact with the target for a number of turns equal to it’s Size to complete the transformation. Swarms of insects may be transformed with a single application of this power, but are affected at a rate of the swarm’s Size + 2. These creatures are very susceptible to the Lord’s Life magics, and any transformation spells cast on them lasts until they revert to their original form. The creature has no social or mental attributes, but a number of dots equal to it’s Size may be divided up among the physical attributes. Base Duration is one hour for this attainment, but points of Mana may be spent to increase Duration as per the Prolongation table at the rate of 1 Mana per +1 success. At Life 4, the Duration increases along the Advanced Prolongation table. Optional Arcanum: Fate 3 The abodes of Fairies are said to have been strange and haunted places, before they departed this world for the Far Realms. The Aelf Lord draws down a portion of Arcadia’s magic and infuses it into an area, giving it an otherworldly aura that even Sleepers can detect. Though the typical example of this attainment in use is the Fairy Wood, Glade or Trod, some modern Aelf Lords prefer to use alternative environments, such as a floor of an office building, or a greenhouse. Places so enchanted have been altered by the magic of Fate to stress the bonds of probability and make the most unlikely of events commonplace. Birds may be seen flying North for the winter, children may be quiet and well behaved, the mad may be lucid and dogs may have greater dignity then men. The Aelf Lord has no control over these effects, and generally they aren’t as overt as to alert people to a supernatural presence. Practically, Fate works to confuse and disorient anyone who enters the Goblin’s domain, leading them away from wherever the Lord dwells; only the Lord’s invitation or rudimentary Space magic may foil this effect. As time goes on, and the improbabilities start to build up, Sleepers entering the Lord’s domain may witness some truly strange phenomenon: birds hanging upside down from branches, impossible animals of unnatural births, streams that twist around in a circle or trees that have grown the appearance of a face. The size of the area effected by this power may be no larger then the Lord’s Gnosis + Fate as successes on the Area-Affecting table, and may not cross territory boundaries, such as rivers, roads or mountain ranges. At Fate 4, the Advanced Area-Affecting table may be used instead. The Aelf Lord may enchant only one territory in this fashion at any given time.

3rd: Goblin-Charm Prerequisites: Gnosis 7, Life 4 The Aelf Lord is vastly skilled at the stuff of Life, and may use this power to grant himself or friends a blessing, or inflict a curse upon his foes. With a simple touch, the Goblin imprints the person with a feature from a base or median life form, as per the ‘Transform Others” spell, pg. 191. This can be used in many different ways; transforming legs into roots, hands into claws, or a head into the snout and ears of a donkey. The Lord may also use this effect on himself, if he so desires. Duration is Prolonged. If the Aelf Lord should possess Fate 2, he may apply the rules of Conditional Duration found on pg. 150 to this power. ______________________________________________________________

The Cup Bearers of Lethe The Cupbearers of Lethe are believed to be tied to the Subtle Ones, though other rumors seem to indicate that they were formed from a Cable of the Guardians or the Mystarium. The Cupbearers, sometimes called the Forgotten, are protégés of Memory. They attainments and goals seem linked to the destruction of memory, especially places of power and objects and artifacts leading back to the First City. Why they are fanatical about locating these things is unknown, many seem to do it in order to deny others of the Legacy of getting to them first. There are other of the Legacy that have bent their talents in other directions, such as out right theft, or assassination, though these seem to be the exception rather than the rule. The Cupbearers generally avoid violence and outright competition. They prefer guile, and out maneuvering those that oppose them. Friendless by nature and often, though not always, itinerant being a Cupbearer’s life is lonesome. They rarely work well with others for extended durations, and their obsession with memory can be truly disturbing. Many keep expansive notes and journals that they seem to fear allowing others to read. Those that are drawn to the Cupbearers normally start out as seekers of the lost, as well as introspective students of psychology. A master will instruct a student for a time, but they are often left to their own devices before reaching the Third Rank of Attainment. It is often difficult for them to learn this skill as their previous masters seem to believe that the student will use it against them. The Mystarium has a love hate relationship with the Cupbearers as they are often zealous in seeking out forgotten artifacts and hidden lore, but they often attempt to abscond with anything they find, rather than returning it too the Order, the worse part is the Order often does not remember what they took. Only a most foolish Curator would allow them unrestricted access to unique texts or treasures of the Order. If they were once a sanctioned Legacy of the Mystarium they have long since fallen into disrepute. The Guardians seem to love them, but they normally work alone, and rarely get much kudos for their work as the very nature of what they do keeps the results secret. They are to slippery to be trusted by the Guardians, though trust is sometimes less important than results. What ties they may have with the Subtle Ones is unclear, though the similarities of their natures, unseen and frustratingly mysterious, make many wonder. Their origin is lost to time, though most of those that track such things (normally those that believe they have lost something to the Legacy) believe that the Legacy is a recent development, within the last 300 years, though they can be found globally now. The Nature of their Attainments seems to lead them into paranoia about things they may have forgotten, many have a number of mnemonics and journals, other thank any number of memory enhancing drugs and herbs, from Memory loss medication to caffeine. Rumors of a grand conspiracy don’t necessarily abound, but they certainly do circulate, though any real proof of such a ting seems to be lacking, as well as a definite motivation; after all they seem to be their own worse enemies. Parent Path: Mastigos Nickname: Forgotten Appearance: Normally subdued, or what would pass for casual in whatever area they are in. The Forgotten normally strive to fit into their surroundings, though of course some abuse their attainments and act and dress in ways to gather attention. Background: The Forgotten come form many backgrounds, but normally they are culled by those Mastigos that seek not to control but to watch. Organization: The Forgotten have little beyond the Master Apprentice bond, and though most honor that

bond with strict deference, they have little in the way of a greater legacy organization. Sometimes others of the Legacy prove to be the greatest of frustrations. Suggested Oblations: Mnemonic Exercises (honing their own memory while they seek to destroy others), Learning long strings of information, PI are very popular as is counting primes. Spending an hour or more seeking something lost and forgotten, even if they don't find it, Study psychological texts, or attending a lecture. Concepts: Driven mage lost to his own desires, Archeologist, treasure hunter, Student of Psychology. Attainments: The Attainments of the Forgotten are derived from the power of Mind, especially the Practices of Veiling, Fraying and Unraveling. They also have an attachment to Prime, as they often seek out lost Lore, Relics and Places, as well as seek to hind their hand, especially their magical nature form those that would follow them. Many of their Attainments affect others, and a contest of wills results, as most of those that can will resist the loss of memory. 1st: The Lost Presence Prerequisites: Mind 2, Subterfuge 2, Gnosis 3 The Forgotten often deal with people of a dubious nature, or run afoul of other seeking the same thing. This Attainment allows them to remove themselves from the memory of their target. They remove their description, and actions from the targets memory. For an Awakened this reduces them back to an Unknown Connection. This must be performed immediately after leaving their target's presence. Roll Manipulation + Subterfuge + Mind vs Resolve + Gnosis. Willpower can effect this roll, but not mana. Optional Arcanum: Prime 1, Crafts 1 With the addition of Prime 1 they can erase their Resonance from a target object, this must be done immediately after handling or effecting it with magic. This Attainment subtracts the Forgotten's Mind Dots from any rolls made to read the Resonance from a target. They can only effect their own Resonance. 2nd: Abandonment of Mnemosyne Prerequisites: Mind 3, Investigation 3, Gnosis 5 This Attainment frays the memory of an entire Scene from the target(s) memory. The Forgotten must be there as well, though no one must be aware of their presence. An active scrying window counts as a presence, but a video recording or a Time spell is recall what occurred earlier does not make the necessary connection. A Contest of Wills is made between the Target(s) and the Forgotten: Manipulation + Investigation + Mind vs. Composure + Gnosis. Willpower can effect this roll, but not mana. This Attainment must be used within in the period of the next scene. The Forgotten does not need to be in the presence of the Target to use this Attainment. Optional Arcanum: Prime 2 By using Prime the Forgotten may alter his Aura to be like that of a Sleeper. This lasts for 1 hour per activation. Other Aura effecting magic can over ride this Attainment. This does not affect the mental state color, only nature. 3rd: Place of Lost Dreams Prerequisites: Mind 4, and Space 1+, or Matter 2, Occult 3 and Gnosis 7 This Attainment can take a place (Space 1+, determine size as per normal) or an object smaller than Size 5 (Requires Matter 2) and erases the memory of it from the world. Information may still exist about the place or object, but no one will look for it, until they stumble upon it accidentally. Those who are present when this Attainment is used are immune to its effects. The Forgotten must be within the location, or touching the object to be so effected. This Attainment lasts for about an hour, an expenditure of a Willpower Dot will make the Duration permanent. This may be done once per object or place.

Optional Arcanum: Prime 3 When erasing the memory of a place or thing the Forgotten may alter its resonance to appear however he wishes. They may do this once ever per object. Other Forgotten are susceptible to each other’s Attainments, and though most teach that it is irresponsible to use these gifts on one another it is often done. The Enlightened Noetic Collective Come friend, give up the painful illusion of individuality and join us in Unity. Since the dawn of civilization people have banded together for everything from safety to friendship. Some say that humans are inherently social beings and that actions that have the most moral worth are those done for the greater good of the human community as a whole; that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Communalism, or the creation of intentional communities for social reasons, often drew from such collectivist thinking. During the revival of communalism in America during the early sixties, Nelson Henshaw, a college dropout who had majored in psychology and philosophy decided to establish a commune of his own. Using the social ideals of Marx, Buddhism's illusion of Self, and the rhetoric of New Age Noetic Sciences, Henshaw cobbled together the Enlightened Noetic Collective, a community built on the principle of connecting with the World Consciousness of humanity. Founding a community on an isolated mesa in the Southwest Unisted States, Henshaw was lucky enough to attract the right mix of people to make the place survive and even prosper. Though he didn't truly believe in his own preaching, Henshaw had the charisma to forge true converts, inlcuding his own daughter, Sophia. A by-blow from his dalliance with one of his disciples, Sophia grew up with collectivist thought almost literally with her mother's milk. The ENC was truly a cult of personality and would have dispersed upon Henshaw's sudden death in the eighties, except that his death also triggered Sophia's Awakening onto the Mastigos Path. Returning from her Astral Journey with visions of a unified humanity, Sophia pulled the shaken community together around her. Using her newfound Mind arts, she even managed to strengthen their beliefs in Unity. Due to the is olation of the community, Sophia was allowed to grow in power without the influence of other mages, an Apostate. She spent almost a decade strengthening her sympathetic ties to the community, both magical and mundane. When a young Mysterium mage came to the town to investigate what was suspected to be a newly forming Hallow, he was struck by the peacefulness and cooperation of the people in the little community. After staying awhile, he became entranced by the simple and earnest lifestyle of the commune. The Collective earned its first Awakened convert. The local Consilium is just beginning to worry The Collective and its motives. They had long dismissed it as a small cult of an isolated Apostate and expected it to die out years ago. The apparent signs of prosperity have made some councilors wonder about its longevity. They don't know that The Collective now has a handful of mage converts and that the Sleeper community no longer induces extra Paradox on Collective magic (most Mind arts) because of how ingrained the philosophy has become in their community. Though cautious about expanding, the Collective's ultimate goal is the unification of all humanity and it has been slowly introducing subtle memes to that effect into the general populace. For the most part, the Collective tries to be persuasive instead of coercive, relying on super-enhanced Social Attributes and Skills to convert newcomers, but when all else fails or violence threatens the community, Sophia doesn't hesitate to bring the mind-numbing onslaught of the mental voices of an entire community to bear on an attacker. The Collective is a pacifist philosophy, believing that all human life is as one. Parent Path: Mastigos, but any mage that joins the commune can join the Legacy. Nickname: Hippy Appearance: Members of the Collective dress plainly, realizing that the need to stand out from other is a

selfish motive, a left over, painful reminder of solitary existence. For the World Soul, "wearing" different bodies is separation enough. Background: Members of the collective come from many different backgrounds, though those who profess a belief in New Age concepts find resonance with the philosophy and the dispossessed find comfort in the community. People from neighboring towns who have had an encounter with one of the charismatic Atman come away reeling with ideas of the promise of Unity. Many leave their homes soon after to join the Collective. Organization: All members of the Collective are valued equally, truly just another expression of the One. Though no one member, even Sophia, is regarded as more important, the Atman are the inner circle of the Collective, a handful of mages who have joined the Legacy and are believed to be closer to reaching the goal of true Unity with the One. When Sophia crafted her Legacy, she took the Shadow Name, Atman, the World Soul and bestows it to all Awakened who follow her soul path. After admitting a few mages into the inner workings of the Collective, Sophia has been forced to become a healer of minds or else the Collective would have disintegrated under the combined weight of multiple mental disorders. This is also on par with Collective philosophy, though, as the pains of individuality have to be shared to be healed. Suggested Oblations: Communing with another Collective member in meditation. Spreading the philosophy of Unity. Divesting oneself of the illusion of individuality. Concepts: Commune member. Disillusioned materialist. Attainments: Lessons learned from the Iron Watchtower convinced Sophia that all human consciousness is the expression of the same Universal Consciousness. These attainments came about in an effort to rejoin the scattered pieces of humanity. Mind is the primary Arcanum, but knowledge of Space is required as well, to strengthen sympathetic bonds to the point where masters of this Legacy are magically one person. 1st: One Mind Prerequisites: Mind 2 (Primary), Space 1, Empathy 2 At this level of Unity, the Collective mage learns to open his mind up to the conscious thoughts of fellow Collective mages. As per the Mind 3 effect, "Telepathy" on pg. 212, an Instant action lets a Collective mage open up a mental line of communication with any other mage that has achieved this Attainment. An "Emotional Urging" effect also fills the mage with feelings of peace and calm whenever he communes with another mage through this Attainment and allows mages to always be aware of the emotions of all other Collective members on the subconscious level. The drawback to this ability is that the mage also opens themselves up to the madnesses of other Collective members. When a mage gains this Attainment, he gains the Derangements of all other members with this Attainment as well as transmitting any Derangements he has along to the others. Joining the Collective can be quite traumatic to the unprepared mage, which is why Sophia and the Atman try to groom potential candidates very thoroughly before admitting them to the ranks of the Atman. 2nd: One Heart Prerequisites: Mind 3, Empathy 3 Achieving this level of Unity allows a mage to tap into deeper levels of her fellow mages' consciousness. Mages with this Attainment can reflexively "borrow" the Virtue or Vice of any mage that has at least attained "One Mind" for the purposes of regaining Willpower. The mage can only use this the same number of times she would normally be allowed, though, once per scene for Vices and once per session for Virtues. The Collective member can also cast Telepathic Network as an instant action between anyone who has achieved at least One Mind. The drawback of this Attainment is that anytime a mage that has attained at least "One Mind" makes a degeneration roll, the mage that has attained "One Heart" is also forced to make a degeneration roll. Fortunately, she only has to roll as if she committed a sin equal to her current Wisdom rating, no matter what level of sin the offending mage committed. Optional Arcanum: Space 3 With Space 3, mages of the Collective can transfer Willpower to each other at will. It takes an Instant action to mentally contact another mage to request the Willpower, and most Collective mages give permission (it is impossible to take the Willpower against the donating mage's will). Successes on a Composure+Empathy+Mind roll gives the maximum amount of Willpower a mage can receive in a given 24-hour period.

3rd: One Soul Prerequisites: Mind 4, Prime 1, Empathy 4 Mastering the Unity lays bare the very souls of the Collective to the mage. The sympathetic connections between members of the Collective has become so strong at this point that a mage can even make use of another mage's knowledge of the Arcanum. After taking an Instant action to establish a connection with a network of fellow Collective mages, a mage who has Attained "One Soul" can act as the primary caster in a Teamwork spell casting action. A Composure+Empathy+Mind roll determines how many mages the Master can network in a scene and only mages who have attained "One Mind" can be a part of this gestalt. The benefit is that since the spell relies on the Imago of the primary caster, the contributing mages are allowed to use the dice pool for the Rote, whether or not they know the Rote and the primary caster get's access to the Arcana levels of all contributing mages even if they don't possess them . The drawback is that while a mage's Arcana are being used, she cannot cast any spells herself. Optional Arcanum: Prime 3 With Prime 3, a Collective mage can transfer Mana as they used to be able to transfer Willpower. Gunslingers The Gunslinger Legacy is new incarnation of a timeless concept. They are the timeless protectors of those that cannot protect themselves. They are the knights -errant of the Awakened world. In times past they have been musketeers, knights, fenians, samurai, and all manner of other elite warrior brotherhoods. The current incarnation was established during the conflict that came to be known in Awakened history as the Nameless War. Across the globe, conflicts sprang up between Sleepers, and in the shadows the Awakened went to war. In the American West, it was a particularly lawless time. Into this world strode the old warriors in a new form. They sided with the Nameless – those seeking to bring democracy, freedom and law to the lawless. These new warriors were just as Nameless, but they were referred to by their vocation – they were Gunslingers. Throughout the war, the Gunslingers lead the charge. Wherever they were needed, they walked the knife’s edge between life and death. Change was coming to the world, they knew, and their guns were a major part of the catalyst. When the Seer’s of the Throne offered the Alliance, the Gunslingers steadfastly refused to protect any Nameless who sided with them. This was a convincing argument for many to form the Free Council. Today, the Gunslingers continue their duty. They travel the world, often alone, protecting those that need protecting. They mete out justice according to their personal sense of honor – luckily the mentoring process is long and involves reading many books of law and chivalry, so they generally do have a good sense of right and wrong. When the Free Council needs warriors, the Gunslingers are there. More often than not, Free Council warrior Strategoi are members of this Legacy. Parent Path: Moros Parent Order: Free Council Nickname: Six-Gun Myrmidons Appearance: Although most Gunslingers have updated both their clothing and their trademark weapons, their mannerisms are timeless. They are tough, self-reliant, laconic and above all skilled with their guns. They speak little, see much and their hands move like lightning to mete out justice. Background: Law enforcement officers and ex-military personnel are found in abundance among this Legacy’s ranks. Indeed any individuals who are able to take care of themselves both in and out of battle, stand for freedom, democracy and protecting those who cannot protect themselves will find a welcome place among the Gunslingers. Even reformed outlaws can find a home as long as they are truly reformed; the Gunslingers police their own.

Organization: The Gunslinger organization is very loose. Like the Free Council Order they protect, the Gunslingers are a democratic organization. When decisions that affect members of the entire Legacy must be made, an Assembly is called, and every member who has achieved the first Attainment is given a vote – one man, one vote. However, they do respect skill, and thus refer to each other using the name of their Attainment level as a sort of rank. Even the highest ranked Gunslinger, though, is still considered first among equals. Other than that, there is almost no organization to the Legacy since Gunslingers are generally self-reliant loners. Suggested Oblations: Target practice; stripping and cleaning guns; reading books on law or chivalry Concepts: Consilium Sentinel, Man With No Name, modern knight-errant, gunsmith, police officer Attainments Gunslingers live or die on the basis of their understanding of how their guns work. They must be able to hone their weapons using their facility with the Arcanum of Matter. Moreover, they must also have at least a basic awareness of Space in the midst of battle. Another thing all Gunslingers have in common is natural skill; they are more often than not born with fast hands (Dexterity 3+), but if they’re not born with them, they develop them before their first attainment. Gunslingers cannot progress past the second attainment unless they show proficiency with their chosen weapons (Firearms 3+). 1st: Regulator Prerequisites: Gnosis 3, Matter 2 (Primary), Space 1, Dexterity 3 The mage improves the balance, rifling and sights on any gun he handles, similar to the Matter 2 “Alter Accuracy” spell (p. 196). This attainment is always active and of indefinite Duration. He also gains a perfect spatial sense in battle and becomes a deadeye, i.e. the mage gains the Space 1 “Spatial Map” spell (p. 233) that is always active and an indefinite Duration. 2nd: Penetrator Prerequisites: Gnosis 5, Matter 3, Firearms 3 At this level of proficiency, the Gunslinger begins to care for his individual rounds as well as his guns. Very little can protect against a mage firing his guns with this attainment which basically provides the benefits of an “Armor Piercing” spell (p. 198). When needed, he can now concentrate and perform an instant action to perfect a number of bullets equal to his Matter dots. Optional Arcanum: Prime 3 If he also has Prime 3, he can also enchant his bullets to strike against Twilight and Shadow Realm entities similar to the “Ephemeral Enchantment” spell (p. 225). 3rd: Vindicator Prerequisites: Gnosis 7, Matter 4 The mage lets loose a hail of bullets and utterly disintegrates his target. No non-magical item can withstand the wrath of a Gunslinger meting out justice in this way. This attainment mimics the effect of the “Annihilate Matter” spell (p. 201). Optional Arcanum: Prime 4 At this level of attainment, the Gunslinger can attack magic itself with his guns. This works like the “Supernal Dispellation” spell (p. 229). ______________________________________________________________ Keepers of Samhain Though in the modern day Samhain (SAHW-een or SAHW-in) is incorrectly thought of as a Celtic Death god worshipped during the Halloween festival, the feast of Samhain is an ancient Celtic custom. It was held at the end of the Celtic summer--the beginning of November, as the Celts recognized only the two seasons of summer and winter--in gratitude for the harvest and celebration of those who died in the year before. During this time, the boundary between this world and the next was extremely thin, and both spirits and ghosts roamed freely across the Misty Isle. In fact, if improperly placated, ancestral ghosts could lose their helpful nature and become merged with spirits, forming terrible magath of great passion and fury, which was now directed against their living descendants.

Protecting the living during this time was a sacred duty. Balefires had to be erected in towns and homesteads to keep the realms of the dead and the realms of the living separate. Travel between encampments was as likely to occur in Twilight as it was to occur in the material world. The Gauntlet was lower as well, and spirits flooded across at Loci and Verges, only to be met by the angry souls of the restless dead, who would consume their Essence and slowly lose their grip on their fetters, becoming twisted amalgams of ghost and spirit ephemera that brought terrible powers to bear on the living. It fell to the Keepers of Samhain to ensure that the worst of these were put to permanent rest, so that the living might be spared their depredations. In the early nights, the Keepers fought back martially, using their Death magics to bring sword and spell to bear against the dead souls that grew hostile. As more and more summers met their end, however, the Keepers found themselves overwhelmed and beleaguered. Few mages had the dedication to heed the call and join their ranks in the first place, and they lost more and more every year in the fighting. One day, it struck them: they needed allies. And during a time when the dead were as potent as the mages themselves, what better allies could they have? And thus did the Keepers of Samhain grow to be hated, feared, and terribly misunderstood. Throughout the year, they were always present as someone passed from this world into the next. They volunteered as executioners and justicars, nursemaids and priestesses. Where they were strong, they made public sacrifices; where they were weak and few in number, they worked in the shadows, cutting short the lives of those whose assistance they would need at the next festival. As they ushered a soul from its body, they bound it into a pact: help us defend the living during the next Samhain, and we will ensure that you move safely on into the next world. The ghosts, fettered and bound to this world, had little choice but to do the mage’s bidding. The Keepers looked on this as a distasteful but necessary activity. Typically, they tried to restrict the souls they bound to those who were already dying, but these souls were not often well-equipped to serve as soldiers in the battles of Samhain. Thus, the Keepers also turned to murderers and criminals, whose ghostly service was compelled after their mortal existence was forcibly extinguished. This practice had problems of its own, however, since the ghosts of such people were inclined already towards malice and evil. This brought on the third category of the Keepers’ victims: the righteous heroes. Though they strove to keep the numbers of such murders small, it became necessary to sacrifice good, strong men to the cause, in order to keep the ghosts of the bad men in check. This practice was always controversial, but most Keepers adopted it in the end. Thus do the Keepers continue into the modern day. During most of the year, they seek out the dead and dying--or those deserving of death--and bind their ghosts into service. As the harvest comes in and the barriers between the worlds grow thin, they rally their ghostly armies against the flood of spirits who threaten to cross over. Any ghost that consumes a spirit’s Essence is destroyed utterly, and those that become belligerent or threaten the living are dealt with in the same manner. At the end of the festival, the Keepers destroy the fetters that bind the ghosts to this plane, letting them move on to their final resting place. Stories sometimes circulate about a Keeper who fails to perform the final part of his task, instead demanding that the ghosts he has bound remain tied to him, his unwilling servants. This seldom ends well, as the dead do not take this betrayal lightly, and the renegade Keeper’s former fellows inevitably find out and descend upon the mage with terrible justice. To bind a soul to this world after it should move on is heresy enough, and the Keepers acknowledge that they perform grisly work in the service of a greater good. When one fails in his sacred duty and falls to temptation and corruption, he has betrayed all that the Keepers stand for and all of the souls to which he promised purpose and safety. The suffering of such renegades lasts long, indeed, and certainly does not end with the body’s mortal death. Parent Path: Obrimos. Though the Adamantine Arrow closely matches the philosophy of the Keepers of Samhain, they trust only those who hear the divine voice to carry on their work. A considerable degree of mistrust exists between the Keepers and the Moros in general. Nickname: Keepers Appearance: Most Keepers are of Celtic descent, due to the Legacy’s origins. However, Samhain is a dangerous time of year the world over, and over recent centuries, the Legacy has spread all across the world. Keepers tend towards a grim outlook that is often reflected in their dress, which tends to be conservative and utilitarian. They often prefer dark colors, the better to hide the bloodstains of those whose service must be compelled more forcefully.

Background: Keepers of Samhain tend to come from professions that are in the business of protecting others: police, soldiers, bodyguards, and the like. However, any person who is closely associated with death may also fit in well: nurses in trauma wards, crime scene investigators, or even serial killers are all likely candidates. Keepers prefer to place themselves as close to the time of death as possible, since it is difficult to bind long-dead souls into fetters. Organization: The Keepers are not terribly numerous, and are accustomed to working alone in most places. The tutor/apprentice relationship tends to be maintained even after the third attainment has been learned, and both tutor and apprentice will call on one another through the year if they need help with a rebellious soul. In areas where several Keepers share the same territory, they often divide themselves into functions according to their relative levels of mastery: those who cannot yet bind ghosts instead act as scouts for those whose death is imminent (or should be), those of a more martial bent act as ghost wardens, and those who can do so bind the souls of the departed to fetters, so that they may serve in the Keepers’ annual battles. Suggested Oblations: Providing succor for the dying; killing an evil person; performing a task for a ghost to help ease the burden of its existence; receiving gifts of harvested crops or taking part in a harvest-festival Concepts: Detectives, nurses, priests, coroners, serial killers, bounty hunters, grief counselors Attainments Keepers of Samhain must be proficient in Death magics, in order to keep the dead at bay. For most Obrimos, this presents a significant challenge prior to joining the Legacy, so most Keepers are adopted early in their magical career. Spirit magics are also helpful, but the Keepers primarily draw on their watchtower’s mastery of Prime to work their will on all ephemera, ghost and spirit alike. 1st Attainment: Ghostly Congress Prerequisite: Gnosis 3, Death 2 The mage gains the ability to physically interact with ghosts at will, gaining the benefits of the Death 2 effect, “Touch of the Grave” as a reflexive action with a duration of one scene, once per turn. In addition, items the mage carries can interact with the dead as well, so long as they remain within the mage’s grasp. The mage cannot dismiss this effect in the turn during which it was activated--he cannot attack a ghost and immediately dismiss the effect to prevent being counterattacked. Also, the mage gains the ability to perceive and speak with the restless dead at will, as the Death 1 effect, “Speak with the Dead.” This effect is considered to have a Potency of zero for the purposes of detecting concealed ghosts --active magic is required to detect ghosts who wish to remain inconspicuous. The mage can suppress this ability for a scene with a successful Resolve + Composure roll, but it is otherwise assumed to be on at all times. 2nd Attainment: Walk the Bone Roads Prerequisite: Gnosis 5, Death 3 The mage gains the ability to open a gate into Twilight as an instant action with a duration of one scene. This is not done lightly, however, as once it is created, the gate passes beyond the mage’s control: it cannot be dismissed, and must be dispelled using additional magic. (It is considered to have a Potency equal to its creator’s Gnosis and utilizes the Death arcanum, for the purposes of dispelling.) Any creature can pass through the gate in either direction, including ghosts or spirits in Twilight. Such ephemera crossing over gain the benefits of the Materialize Numen while the gate remains open, but lose it immediately when the gate closes. If they cannot materialize under their own power, they are returned immediately to Twilight, losing half their current Corpus from the wrenching. Physical creatures trapped in Twilight when the gate closes remain there, and must wait until another gate is opened in order to return. While in Twilight, they interact physically with ghosts and spirits, making such journeys potentially quite hazardous. Optional Arcanum: Prime 3

The mage can now begin to strike at ghosts and spirits with less risk to himself. As an instant action, he can coat an object in balefire for number of rounds equal to his Gnosis. The item gains the properties of the Prime 3 “Ephemeral Enchantment” spell, enabling it to strike or protect against ephemeral entities. However, it takes one point of Structure damage per turn, as the balefire consumes its very essence. Once the item has been devoured, the Death 3 “Ghostly Object” effect takes hold, allowing the mage to wield the ghost of the devoured object. (Note that in doing so, he must activate either Ghostly Congress or “Touch of the Grave,” rendering him again vulnerable to damage from ghostly sources.) The balefire persists even after the item is destroyed, but the ephemeral reflection continues to melt away. Consider the ghostly item to have a Structure equal to what it had in life. Once the balefire consumes it fully, it is completely destroyed, beyond the reach of all but Masters of Death magics. Balefire cannot be cast on an animate target with this attainment, whether living or ephemera. Particularly high-Durability items are resistant to it, but not immune: items with Durability equal to or higher than the mage’s Gnosis lose 1 Durability per turn (as the Death 2 “Decay” effect), until their Durability is one less than the mage’s Gnosis, at which point Structure is consumed instead of Durability. 3rd Attainment: Bind the Dead Prerequisite: Gnosis 7, Death 4 Now the Keeper has the ability to proactively recruit his army of the dead in preparation for the next Samhain. As an instant and contested action, the mage can bind the ghost of a recently-dead Sleeper to an anchor, a physical object which must be provided. The mechanics work just like the Death 4 “Haunting” spell, though it cannot be used on the dying. The mage must be present at the death of the subject or shortly after; he cannot use this effect on those who have yet to die. The mage rolls Resolve + Persuasion + Death, opposed by the ghost’s Resistance. If the mage struck the killing blow on the subject, he gains a +2 bonus to this roll. This ability cannot be utilized as an extended action, so most Keepers prefer to be present at the subject’s death. Optional Arcanum: Prime 4 The mage can now hurl balefire at his opponents, striking both ephemera and physical threats alike. This is an instant action resisted by the target’s Resistance or Stamina. The mage rolls Presence + Occult + Prime, subtracting the resistance attribute, and deals lethal damage directly to the target’s Pattern. ______________________________________________________________Lurkers at the Threshold The Lurkers at the Threshold are descended, according to their own records, legends, and stories, from a lesser Order of the first City. Though they are now a small sect within the Order of the Silver Ladder the Masters tell their students of the history of their order and how they maintain in the current day a position that is of utmost importance. The Order claims that it was once known as the Keepers of the Gate, they were, and are, masters of teleportation and spirit walking. They kept the Gates of the City open; as well they provided guidance to those that sought direction in their life, or information that was available on other worlds. What they rarely speak of to outsiders is that they believe a number of the Order joined the Exarchs during the Diaspora, the great evacuation during the days of the Ascension war, just prior to the breaking of the Heavenly Ladder. They consider it a certainly that the Seers have members of the Keepers of the Gates among their number, though what they may be now named as is unknown. The Lurkers belong to the Silver Ladder, but come from three Paths: the Mastigos, Thyrsus, and Moros. Each Path learns their own Attainments linked to their Realm. The Lurkers control gateways both between locations in this world (Mastigos) and between the Spirit Realms (Thyrsus) and the Underworld (Moros). Though many are practiced Summoners, the Lurkers at the Threshold have a greater calling. They gates they may open are tied to Fate and fortune. They seek to guide those that seek answers, both to problems of the world, and those that are still facing their own inner demons. The sect holds spiritual journeys sacred, and before each attainment can be mastered the prospective student must take a journey though the Astral Plane. With each Attainment the traveler must go deeper, looking for a sign that they have reached a new rank. Those learning their First Attainment must travel to their own Onieros. The Second Attainment requires a journey to the more dangerous Tembros, the racial Astral. TO reach the Third Attainment the now master must seek his sign in the Dream Time, that Astral plane shared by the whole of the world. It is said that those that seek the Fourth Attainment must not only travel back to the Dream Time, but travel till they are at the edge of the Abyss, and that only by gazing out into its nothingness and coming to understand what it is that blocks their Ascension can they unlock the last of the gifts of their Sect.

They serve others within their parent Order, the Silver Ladder, as well as deserving mages from other Orders. They hold their Task to be Sacred, and though they are routinely called upon to open doorways for this or that mundane reason, they are called upon to remember why they have the gifts that they do, and to not lose sight of where they are going or where they have come from. The sect is well aware that their Attainments are normally Vulgar, and the Masters of this Order seek to engrave upon the minds of the younger members of the sect that they have been given a gift beyond many other Legacies. the Legacy was since greatly respected, but currently they have fallen upon hard times. Some see their obsession with Spiritual Journeys a bit off-putting. Many lost touch with the world, especially the Moros and Thyrsus. Many spend long hours scrying and letting Fate guide their sight. Two rumors have spread concerning the nature of the Attainments of this Legacy. First, that their Attainments are not just simply non-Paradoxical, but the gates allow a little bit of the Abyss to creep in without immediate effect. It seems to many that performing Vulgar magic in the vicinity where the Lurkers have used their Attainments is more likely to draw an Abyssal Manifestation. Secondly, it is rumored that the Fourth Attainment of the Legacy is the ability to open a gate to the Abyss itself and draw forth some not-creature that is tied to your Fate. Parent Order: Silver Ladder Parent Paths: Mastigos, Thyrsus, and Moros Nickname: Doormen Appearance: When performing a formal function the sect has a number of various dress codes, much of the most formal dress of the Legacy seems to be inspired by the Catholic church, robes and flowing sleeves, as well as Tabards. When in formal social events many of the Legacy will dress in the color of their Path. The Mastigos often wear grey, the Moros where Black, often with silver hems, and the Thyrsus wear green or blue. Outside of formal functions the Lurkers’ dress is their own to decide. Background: Members are sought from those of the Ladder that show aptitude for the arcane of Spirit, Space or Death, and who hold a general reverence for First city mythology. Those who have overcome issues in their life, especially vision quests, derangements or Astral Searches are considered well prepared. There are more than a few Lurkers that have dabbled in the Goetic arts. Organization: Though the Legacy is firmly within the Ladder, they seek to define themselves as slightly separate. They recognize rank and knowledge, and many hold large webs of communications, especially the Mastigos whom control the Gateways to the world afar. The Legacy does not have any defining goal, only a duty of service, and to seek to better themselves, and assist those that seek to better themselves, i.e. to defeat lost Wisdom, over come derangements, break curses, or seek solutions to other difficult problems. Suggested Oblations: Meditation, performing one of the cleansing Rites of the Legacy (taught from Master to Student), Giving council to those in need in a Formal Setting (muck like Confession) Concepts: Visionary Priest, Recovering Goetic Magi, World Walker. Attainments: Each of the Paths has a separate Ruling Arcanum for the Attainments. The Mastigos’ ruling arcane is Space; the Thyrsus’ is Spirit; and the Moros’ Death. All share the Conjunctional Arcanum Fate. The Attainments only world for each Path’s ruling Arcanum as state above. A Moros may not use an Attainment to open a gate way to the Spirit World for example. 1st: Bottomless Mirror Prerequisites: Ruling Arcanum 2, Gnosis 3, Investigation 2 The Bottomless Mirror allows the Lurker to open a Scrying window to a person or place that they have a Known or better Sympathetic Connection to, the Mirror is visible to all present. A Space based scrying opens a window to a place on earth; a Spirit based scrying opens a window to a Spirit (whether in the world or in the Shadow) or a spiritual location. A Death based scrying may open a window to the underworld or a ghost/specter (in the underworld or earth). Optional Arcanum (Mirror, Mirror): Fate 1, Empathy 2

The Lurker may open a scrying window as above but letting Fate choose the Target. They may state what problem they are having and Fate will show them something that will help them solve their problem, or they may let Fate itself guide they next step and show they what they should do or where to go next. With Empathy of 2 or more they may open the Mirror for some one else, allowing them a question or allowing Fate to choose as it will, but it will seek to give the other person guidance. Dependency on this Attainment has gotten more than one mage in trouble, often though Wisdom loss. 2nd: Opening the Way Prerequisites: Ruling Arcanum 3, Occult 3, Gnosis 5 Opening the Way opens a one way gate to a Target or place that the Lurker has a Known or better sympathetic Connection, to open a gate requires a single point of Mana. The gate’s Terminus must be on Earth for Space, the Shadow for Spirit, or the Underworld for Moros. A gate may be opened only once a day to any target. Optional Arcanum (Clearing the Way): Fate 2, Empathy 3 By opening a Gate to herself the Lurker may allow any who Fate deems important enough to come though (if they are willing, or curious) the Lurker has no control who steps though; though thye may state what problem they are having or allow Fate to decide, as per Mirror, Mirror. With Empathy 3 they may perform the same feat for someone else’s problem (who is present). Opening the gateway costs 1 mana. 3rd: Council of Shadows Prerequisites: Ruling Arcanum 4, Expression 3, Gnosis 7 The Council of Shadows allows the Lurker to co-locate his place with a place (and those present at that place) distant. A Mastigos may collocate a place on earth, a Moros a place in the underworld and the Ghosts that are present, and the Thyrsus may collocate a place in the Shadow. Everyone in both places must be voluntary part of the Council. 1 Mana, Essence, or Willpower per individual (including the Lurker) must be spent, any one may spend this Mana, Essence or Willpower, normally each individual pays for themselves. Note that Vitea is not a legitimate substitute. The Council of Shadows lasts for 1 Scene. Moros are limited in the fact that they may only use this during the night. Those that have been drawn together can see and communicate with one another, but may not interact. Some mental powers (Frighten, Dominate, Suggestion may have effect, but each of the participants is immaterial to the others. Co-located magi are considered to be within Sensory Range, but are required to have Space 2 to link a spell to their target. Optional Arcanum (Unfettered Destiny): Fate 3, Empathy 4 Those that come to the Doorkeeper for council and help, may gain the protection of her blessing. Those that benefit from one of the pervious Attainments that depend on Fate may be Blessed. They gain a Destiny Merit: Fulfill Personal Quest, normally to overcome a flaw or drawback (low Wisdom, Derangement, Curse, etc…). They gain a point of Destiny equal to the how many Fate dots the Doorkeeper has. These Destiny points last until the flaw or drawback is overcome, or the seeker gives up the task. For example: some one who has fallen to a low Wisdom seeks to increase their Wisdom (in addition to the XP cost they must not perform actions that would lower their Wisdom more. Voluntary actions that would lower their Wisdom (even just by making a degeneration roll) will cause the Destiny points to fade. What the Lurkers sometimes don’t tell the individual is that the Destiny that they tie them to also comes with a Bane of equal value to the Destiny Merit. The Lurker does not know what the Bane is, but the first time the target is faced with their Bane they will know (at which point they could abandoned their quest). A Fate 2 spell could identify this Bane. The Bane lasts for as long as the Destiny merit is kept. Someone may only have this Attainment used on them one time, i.e. can not benefit for many uses of Unfettered Destiny at a time, though they may return after completing one quest to start another. Some one with a Destiny already can not benefit from this Attainment. The Lurker may use this on himself before starting a quest or journey, but gains a number of Destiny dots equal to their Fate-1. They may perform this Attainment once per day. The recipient of this Attainment does not need to be traveling to a place, or overcoming an obstacle that has to do with the Lurkers Primary Arcanum.

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Percepters of Nightmare Perception is what allows us to perceive and thus affect our world. Without it the world itself would only exist theoretically. Dreams are the domain of the subconscious full of hidden inner truths and symbols, Dreams connect our consciousness with all others and thus are just as real as the perceived world. Fear... is a primal effect of the mind used properly it can make unassuming, meek, individuals savage defenders doing anything possible to survive or the strongest man curl in a ball and weep. You can learn much form someone by what they fear as well as how they react to that fear. These are the core concepts of the Percepter philosophy. A Legacy of small number within the Guardians of the Veil the Percepters were founded in London, England in the early 1890's. The Percepters were the Culmination of a half mad mage of Indian decent known as Pharu-dai, whose mixture of psychological science and Hindu Spiritualism found in the Nyaya(Logic) sect of Hinduism produced a potent connection to Perception and the subconscious. Pharu-dai used this knowledge to become a dreaded investigator and Suppresser of magic anomalies exposed to sleepers, by both using Nightmares to keep sleepers in the dark or at least misdirected of the mysteries, and Haunting offending mages in their sleep. However being a master of perception has its draw backs and after several years Pharu-dai grew irrational and paranoid, he began seeing everyone as a potential enemy both to himself and mage society itself. Gathering a small number of magi Pharu-dai set about “purging” Mage society of hidden enemies and spies. While by no means an easy feat, this purging was initially a success. Pharu-dai and his small force of secret police uprooted three members of London’s Consilium who were secretly in service to the abyss and the spirits that dwelt there. After finding and disposing of one of these infernal mages, a member of the ruling council of London, Pharu-dai began hearing things in his mind, A Serpentine whisper promising to open his eyes to mysteries and nightmares unfathomable. After many sleepless nights Pharu-dai fell to the temptation and became the willing host to the Abyssal spirit in exchange for nightmarish knowledge as well as unnatural charisma and an enhanced ability to manipulate others.. Having become the personal adviser to a grateful Hierarch, Pharu-dai’s Purging Swelled quickly into an Inquisition, hidden of course from the eyes of sleepers. It was during this time that Pharu-dai first began initiating other Magi into the percepter legacy to assist in his Nightmarish inquisition. All who were initiated were forced to make pacts with the Acamoth as had their mentor. At first He still tried to root out Infernal magi while keeping secret his own Infernal nature, but soon as more and more, Pharu-dai became the power behind the throne, he turned the inquisition towards any perceived threat to his power both real and imagined. During the next decade or so this secret inquisition tortured many magi often leaving them mentally scarred and insane, more than twenty mages were killed. Some of these mages were truly in league with the abyss…many were not. Larger still in number were the multitude of sleepers driven insane or left Mindless empty husks during Pharu-dai’s acamoth controlled Astral journeys. This went on and on until one of Pharu-dai’s first students, a young man of gypsy decent known as Razikiel shook off the hold the Acamoth had on his soul and confronted Pharud-dai…both men fell in the conflict. In the end Pharu-dai was barely the man he had been before the unholy pact, though psychologically crippled, He was Supernaturally one the most powerful magi in recent British history. Pharu-dai fell to hubris gaining enough power over nightmares to make them real. It is said that when he died he sent the tattered remains of his soul and consciousness deep within the Dreamtime. As for his hidden inquisition it supposedly declined after Pharu-dai’s death as for the modern legacy’s personal agenda…… Always small in number the Percepters move incognito within the circles of the guardians of the veil. If found to be Percepters they are often reviled as deranged mad men and most consider them to be on the border of being a left handed legacy. While not all Percepters of Nightmare make pacts with the Acamoth many are drawn to them hoping to receive particular insight into the medium they work in. From the stand point of the Acamoth Percepters with their affinity with dreams and nightmares make choice hosts. Parent Path: Mastigos Parent Order: Guardians of the Veil Nickname: Percepters Appearance: Percepters are often exotic or eccentric in appearance often cultivating Hindu and or gypsy styles.

Background: Percepters of nightmare often initiate those whose beliefs form a mixture of the scientific and the spiritual. Those with a particular intrest in dreams are the most sought after as are those interested in perception in general and those interested in the effects of fear on the psyche. While often mad Percepters are never lacking in the intellect department and most have high intelligence. Many also posses above average manipulation, as they are used to influencing the wills of others. Mental and social attributes are almost equally important with mental attributes having a slight edge, Percepters are usually intelligent. cunning, and manipulative individuals. Organization: The Percepters are to small in number to form a cohesive political body, by the same token being so few in number each Percepter undoubtedly knows all the others if not by name by action. Each Percepter can generally rely on the others in Dire circumstances. Oblations: Discussing the fundamentals of perception, exploiting a fear or phobia, Interrogation through mental torture, Mental exercises Concept: Psychologist, Gypsy dream interpreter , Hindu mentalist, Inquisitor Attainments: Percepters with their focus on perception and dreams use the powers of the mind to empower themselves over others. Percepters often cultivate rudimentary knowledge in Forces and Space in order to both give themselves control over the forces of perception and the ability to expand and extend their own perceptions. 1st: Cowing the Psyche Prerequisite: Gnosis 3, Mind 2, Empathy 2 The percepter has the ability to radiate a sense of unnatural dread or Erie foreboding as with the rote Emotional Urging. This ability requires no roll unless the target consciously tries to resist it’s effects in which case a manipulation+ Empathy+ Mind roll is made versus the targets Composure+ Gnosis Optional Arcanum: Forces 3 with forces 3 the percepter can enhance this feeling by creating strange whispers and effecting ambient light making the areas shadows more engulfing 2nd: Knowing the Psyche Prerequisite: Gnosis 5, Mind 3 the Mage can now enter another’s mind to search surface thoughts and memories for information and phobias to use as he sees fit. as the rote spells Telepathy and read the Depths. This ability requires no roll unless resisted by another mage in which case a Wits+Empathy+Mind roll is made versus the targets Composure+Gnosis. 3rd: Realizing the Nightmare Prerequisite: Gnosis 7, Mind 4 The mage may now create False perceptions in the minds of others. These Hallucinations seem very real to the target and can affect multiple senses. For example someone hallucinating that their wrist has been slit will feel the knife slice through their flesh, their heart rate may increase and they may grow hysterical as they both see and feel as blood runs down their arm. If the effect is maintained long enough the target may even begin to feel weak from the imagined lose of blood. These effects however are only in the mind and as soon as the hallucination is over all ill effects end with it, with the possible exceptions of someone fainting or the rare case that someone has a heart attack. In these cases the target falls unconscious or possibly dies if they do not receive prompt medical attention res pectively. He may also enter his own dreamscape as well as the dreams of others. These abilities work as the rote spells Hallucination and Dream traveler. Creating hallucinations require no roll unless resisted in which case an Intelligence + Subterfuge + Mind roll is made versus Composure+Gnosis. In order to enter the dreams of another sentient being a Manipulation + Empathy + Mind roll is made versus Composure+Gnosis, Entering your own dreamscape requires no roll requiring only one turn of concentration. ______________________________________________________________

The Scarred “Through suffering we grow, through suffering we are forgiven, you have sinned greatly; it is time for your contrition.” Once upon at time, a long, long time ago there was a God named Odin, and he sacrificed an eye for wisdom. He inflicted the triple death upon him self and survived it for nine days in order to gain magic. We are the heirs to his legacy and we honor his sacrifices. Long have mages known that sacrifice brings power, pattern scourging and other such practices are but microcosms of this truth. Few mages have embraced this idea as fully as the Scarred. The Scarred claim to be one of the oldest legacies, to the Norse (the largest group among the scarred) the founder was Odin, who gave his eye for knowledge, and suffered the triple death to discover magic, and through one last unknown sacrifice Ascended into the supernal realms. Regardless of whether they believe in the tale of Odin, the Scarred all share one core belief, through sacrifice one is purified, cleansed like a crucible weeding out the dross and leaving only the pure untainted substance behind, through sacrifice one may transcend the fallen world and rise as a god into the supernal. Many who join seek redemption for past crimes, others seek wisdom, it matters little the result is the same, the scarred is left disfigured, but he is left wiser and more powerful in the Art of magic. Sadly the old ways are dying and the Scarred are dying with them, to few are willing to truly sacrifice for wisdom. The Scarred cling to existence and happily train any new blood willing to make the sacrifices. The members of this legacy are extremely loyal to each other in the way that only comrades in suffering can be, Pity the fool who kills a scarred, for he brings the wrath of an entire legacy down upon him. If captured he is made to atone for his crime with his own suffering, and to the Scarred one must suffer a great deal to truly have atoned. Parent Path: Moros Parent Order: Adamantine Arrows Nickname: Masochists Appearance: Most of the Scarred look like they have been through hell. Many of the Scandinavians have given up an eye, others characteristics include whip scars, runes carved into the fles h, stigmata, scars from spear wounds, missing hands etc. Organization: the Scarred are normally solitary, though they gather for the initiation of new members, for sacrifice ceremonies, and to avenge their slain. Suggested oblations: Blood sacrifice, whipping ones self, destroying treasured items Concepts: redemption through suffering repenter, redemption through suffering inflictor, Old ways spaecrafter Attainments: The sacrifices listed here are for the Norse variety, feel free to change them for other styles of the Scarred. 1st: To banish with blood Prerequisites Gnosis 3 Prime 2 intimidation 3 The mage must have carved Norse or atlantean runes of forbiddence along his arms and on his palms to gain this attainment. The mage may counter spells as the Prime (primary)2 "Counterspell." when the mage activates this attainment his rune scars bleed without opening, the blood animates and engulfs the target spell, than vanishes taking the spell with it. The potency of the counterspell is equal to the mages dots in prime. 2nd: The Waters of Mimmirs Well Prerequisites Gnosis 5 prime 3, Occult 3 The scarred must pluck out one of his eyes to gain this attainment, in game terms he must suffer from the one eye flaw. (Mechanics for the process of plucking out an eye are left to the storyteller though willpower expenditures and rolls would be appropriate)

The mage's empty eye socket becomes a conduit for mana absorbtion, the mage may absorb mana from a hallow without the need for an oblation as the Prime 3 "Channel Mana" spell, roll for the spell normally as if the mage possessed it as a rote. The mana manifests visibly, appearing as arc of electrical current erupting from the ground and into the mages eye socket, the mages rune scars glow with power when this attainment is activated. Alternate Arcana. Time 3 Some of the scarred experience oracular visions when they channel mana into there eye socket, mechanically these visions are similar to the Time 3 "divination spell" Spend a mana and roll for the divination as if it was a rote, the mage must be channeling mana through his eye socket to use this power. 3rd: Glimpse the True Runes Prerequisites Gnosis 7 Prime 4, Occult 4 The mage must be stabbed in the side with a spear and left tide to a tree for 24 hrs without food. A mage who survives this rite is said to have glimpsed the true runes. The original runes that Odin saw and copied, even with a modicum of their power he can rend the magic of lesser mages as with the prime 4 "supernal dispelation" spell. Roll as if it were a rote. When this is activated the mages spear wound bursts open doing a point of resistant lethal damage.